Various forms of washing assemblies have been provided for washing the interior surfaces of large trailers and other vehicle bodies. In one type of known washing device a horizontal boom having washing heads on the free end thereof is axially movable into and out of an associated trailer or other vehicle body. Examples of this type of washing device are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,112,533, 3,961,983, and 3,689,318. It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the cost and inconvenience associated with manufacturing these large, expensive boom-type devices.
A second type of washing device includes a mobile frame which is driven into the rear of a trailer from a support platform registered with the open end thereof. Such washers of this type are normally provided with flexible conduits which supply electric power, water, and detergents from an external source to the washing device. In contrast, the device of the present invention is designed to be completely self contained, thus eliminating the need for bulky storage tanks and external power units which must be mounted on a nearby dock, thereby preventing complete portability of the device.
In the known devices of the prior art cable reels are provided on the vehicular structure of the washers in order to pay out and take up the flexible conduits which are laid on the vehicle floor as the machine enters the vehicle body. Control systems are provided for regulating the take up and pay out speed of the cable reel, so that the washer vehicle does not run over and damage the flexible conduits. Malfunctions of the cable reel control system, or the uneven winding of the flexible conduits on the cable reels have given rise to functional and operational problems in this type of washing device. The device of the present invention, being completely self-contained, does not suffer from the above mentioned operational disabilities.
Examples of various forms of this latter type of washing device are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,534,746 and 3,830,430.